1913] The Ottawa Naturalist. 107 



shaped, 3| in. long, l| in. at widest part; cater- 

 pillar can still be faintly seen moving. 

 Sept. 28 Cocoon complete; caterpillar quiet. 

 Oct. 8 7 o'clock p.m. : heard a scratching noise like tearing of 

 silk, continued all the evening and next day. 

 " 9 8 o'clock p.m.: must see what is going on, cannot 

 resist. 

 10 The caterpillar life is over and the pupa lies within its 

 silken case, not to move again till June awakens it. 



How to tell what I saw! Words can scarcely express its 

 wonder. 



I carefully clipped the cocoon with a scissors, making two 

 incisions, to a point at the top, so that I could bend down the 

 section like a door. 



The caterpillar lav w T ithin the smooth inner wall. It did 

 not look anv different than when last seen. Using a large lens, 

 so as not to lose a single item of its proceedings, I set myself 

 to watch. Presently it rose and fell as if heaving a deep sigh; 

 then it began swaving round and round, then from side to side, 

 very much like the motion of a bear. 



After some time of this a crack appeared in the skin at the 

 back of its neck. The motion became more violent. Extending 

 itself, it raised its first pair of legs upward as if "throwing high 

 hands to Heaven" in appeal for help. Then drawing back and 

 down it crouched as if in depths of humility or despair. Looking 

 more deeply into the cocoon I saw the object of these movements 

 and also why a caterpillar wears spines and knobs. 



In moving, the spines on the segments rubbed against the 

 wall of the cocoon, and assisted in the removal of the cater- 

 pillar-skin, which was the object worked for. The crack in the 

 skin- had gradually lengthened down the back. Then the head 

 parts and legs seemed I to slide downward, just like a child's 

 dress comes off after it is unbuttoned. 



Now the new form of the insect appeared. Soft and of a 

 velvety, indescribably beautiful, yellow, the heavy antennae and 

 legs looking as if made of gelatine. This new creature kept up 

 the swaying till the whole caterpillar-skin was neatly packed 

 beneath it like a concave cushion in which it rested in the bottom 

 of the cocoon. 



After this the pupa kept on moving slightly for some time. 

 Then from around the legs and antennae (which were now folded 

 flat and close) and from the segments a yellowish glassy fluid 

 seemed^to'ooze, which hardened and turned brown as it covered 

 the pupa till it became as if varnished. All movement now 



